Destined To Be
by askle
Summary: Humans and demons were once one, until one day they all split. War is then destined to rage between the two forces one day. It is up to one human and one demon to stop it, whether they planned to or not. They are simply destined to be.
1. The Meeting

The air around him was thick with summer heat, bugs buzzing in the distant. The forest he resided in kept him cool enough though, despite the heat. He lazed about in a tree, casually waiting for his guest of honor to appear. He hadn't known what her appearance was like, but he knew her scent well enough. A few of his scouts gathered a scrap of her clothes. It was mostly covered in their scent by the time he got it, but hers still lingered enough for him to track her. And here he was, perched up high in a tree, biding his time for her arrival.

Idly, he fiddled with the piece of cloth. Reassuring himself that he was in the right area, he brought it to his nose and breathed in deeply. It was faint, but the smell of cedar, lilies, and sweat filled his nostrils. He stuffed the fabric back into his chest plate, keeping it safe for now in case he was in the wrong place. But he was certain this was it, he could smell her all over this area, as if she was setting something up. His eyes scanned the ground below him, making sure not to miss anything.

He relaxed. ' _Ah, there she was.'_ Her small body crouched low behind shrubbery, masking herself from sight. He sniffed the air, double checking that it was her. It was; the tangy smell of her sweat along with the thick cedar and sweet smell of lilies drifted into his nose. It was stronger than the fabric he had. He shifted in his spot, gaining a better view of her from below. She concealed herself well. Her hair was the color of the bark surrounded her, her dark attire hid her in the shadows, and her pale face hid behind a gas mask of sorts. Her body was extremely small, he noted. He hadn't realized he was going after a kid. He huffed, silently cursing the council for their lack of information for him.

The council was the highest ranking authority in the wolf clans. They decided the fates of all the clans. They usually consisted of the heirs of each clan. Only a few of them came from nothing, gained their rank by the approval of the clansmen. He himself was close to being a high ranking official of the council. He wasn't one that had to fight all the way to the top, instead he was the heir to one of the clans. It granted him easy access to reaching the role of a leader. He achieved to gain the approval of his men and woman before he took his rightful place among them.

His attention went back to her, noticing that she moved over to a tree. Her eyes focused ahead of her. He followed her gaze, them landing on the animal she was hunting. A stinky boar. Crinkling his nose, it was clear that the pig reeked. At least the council didn't leave him completely in the dark on this one. He knew she was here to test her abilities as a slayer. Despite the little tidbits of information they decided to give out, the council needed to change. Too many old demons sitting on their asses claiming to know everything about the world. Well the world was changing. And he wanted to be the change the council needed.

Returning his icy gaze back to her, he noticed that she was holding a rock now. She fiddled with it, deciding what her next action will be. He silently awaited her, getting lost in thought again. Although he didn't always agree with the council, he did trust them enough to obey. Of course they had their own seer prodigi among them. Well, not completely. She was different. A mere pup from the clan toward the north had visions from time to time. From his knowledge she was of royal blood as well. Her grandfather was a council member, older than almost everyone. Her name was Ayame. She was a loud girl in appearance. Her hair was the color of scarlet. And her eyes matched the color of a clear pond, reflective in the way she stared. Although most of her clan was tan, she was pale. Freckles marked her skin, just like the stars did the night sky. He would admit, she was attractive, and her smell was a unique one. She smelt like a fresh mountain stream catching nature in its path. It was like life clung to her form.

He jolted out of his thoughts when the girl beneath him moved. ' _Right,'_ He thought, readjusting himself so he had a better view. He couldn't get lost in thought and lose sight of her. He wouldn't screw this mission up. Ayame was the one to put stress on this. He remembered the day she arrived, extremely exhausted but determined to hold a meeting that instant. She informed everyone that their life was in danger because of a demon slayer. She would ruin the war between demons and humans. It was the strangest statement she said after that. She looked him right in the eyes and stated I had to kill her in order for their fates to flourish. No one else could do it. Of course he agreed, he could handle any pathetic human.

Although in thought, he watched the girl below him moving around. His eyes adjusted to her, taking note that the boar had moved to an open area, munching on a few greens around it. The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting a spotlight unto the stupid animal below. His eyes grazed over to the girl, having moved closer. Her whole body was tense, hand gripping the rock until he was sure her knuckles turned white. A moment late, she exhaled, her posture visibly relaxing. She had closed her eyes, muttering under her breath. He couldn't tell what she was saying, only hearing her whisper. In a second, her eyes snapped open, determination shown in them as she flung the rock as hard as she could toward the boar. The piece of stone didn't hit it, instead bouncing off the ground near the animal. In turn the pig ran off. Kouga internally groaned, disappointed that she missed such an obvious target. It was only until she was running off to the side, shadowing the frightened boar, that he realized that was only the beginning of her trap.

He followed in her step, staying in the trees. Watching her intently, he took noticed that she grabbed this huge boomerang shaped weapon, almost staggering when she ran past it. It was heavy for her, he could tell as she leaned it against her back. She only faltered for a second, never taking her eyes off of the animal. The pig squealed while sprinting to what he assumed was safety. She grunted, sweat glistening off her forehead, attempting to keep up with the boar's pace. Kouga didn't have any problem keeping their pace. With strength he didn't know she had, she swung the giant weapon toward the pig.

The end of the boomerang sunk into the soil, tearing up the grass around it. Again, she didn't hit it, which caused him to lowly growl in frustration, only to realize she was leading the pig somewhere. The second the pig snorted and switched directions, the girl sprinted with speed that seemed abnormal for someone her age. A glint caught his eye as she drew her sword at her side. She was running close to the animal, dodging trees and bushes that might cause her to trip. He paused in his journey above her, noticing the acceleration she suddenly acquired. She sped past the boar, breath coming out in gasps. She was struggling to keep the pace.

He was mesmerized by her and he couldn't understand why. Her arm jerked toward a tree, the sword she wielded slicing against it. Bark flung off due to the momentum she had. He couldn't understand what in the world she was doing. It was only when he heard the sound of rope rubbing against bark that he grasped her carefully laid out plan. Loud squealing erupted from the pig as it was slung up into a rope cage. It struggled ferociously, failing to escape. Sweat slide down her face, bouncing off her mask. Panting loudly, she sheathed her sword. He stood there, digging his claws into the tree he was perched on. He was actually amazed by her actions. He would never admit it to anyone else, but she had power within her. Maybe this is what Ayame meant. If they trained enough people like she did, they might not have a chance in the future. That put a sinking feeling into his stomach.

Swallowing roughly, he observed her more closely now. She staggered over to the pig, it shifted inside the rope prison. Surprising him even further, the stupid animal quieted as she approached. He leaned forward, watching intently. She brought her hands up to the boar's face, finally getting control of her breathing. It was in that moment that he realized the whole forest was quiet. The only sounds he heard were their breathing. He strained his ears to hear anything else, realizing it was useless to do so. She brought her forehead to rest near the snout of the beast, whispering words he couldn't hear. It was strange, he felt deaf in this quiet world. His icy eyes, followed her every move, from the moment she took out a bone dagger, to the second she slowly slid it against the pig's throat.

It was absurd and he was definitely seeing things, but the stupid pig closed its eyes, accepting that it was killed by her. It didn't really have a choice anyway the moment she trapped it in there, but it didn't struggle toward the very end. He couldn't believe this. It was impossible to him. He mimicked her movements, squatting as she did, nails trailing down the bark to keep himself steady. She cleaned the dagger against the grass before sliding it back into its sheath. She sat there, letting the boar bleed out as much as possible before lifting herself up. She pulled her sword back out and sawed the rope that was holding the beast. Expertly tying a few knots, she lifted it so the fat pig rested against her back.

Even though she was strong, he knew she was going to have trouble with this. He could hear her exhale. Hunching over, she supported most of the boar's weight on her shoulders. He was surprised that she could move at the pace she did as she backtracked her steps. He watched until she was almost out of sight before trailing after her. The boar was practically her size. She reached where she left her boomerang. There was no way she could carry both. Crouching down, she wrapped one arm under the boar, keeping it in place. She fiddled the cloth around the boomerang and pulled it over her head, securing it under the pig. Hoisting both up, she slowly brought herself to stand. He was impressed by her once again.

He stalked after her as she made her slow trek to her destination, wherever it was. Kouga became deep in thought. This kid would somehow become this all powerful demon slayer that would cause disarray in their future. He could see why. She had a certain grace about her as she fought. Her strength wasn't something to be messed with either, considering she is training with a giant bone boomerang. Of course she had a limit, he noticed it right away. She liked to over exert herself in order to achieve her goals and in turn it caused her to become fatigued more quickly.

Even now as she attempted to walk over a hill, he could tell she was struggling. He heard her panting as her knees seem to give out. The brunette dropped to her knees, pressing one hand against the dirt as her other one supported her cargo. He could smell the sweat soaking through her suit. For some reason he felt his eyes wander down her body as she sat hunched. He couldn't see much of her back, due to the boomerang and the boar resting against it, but he could see the curve of her bottom. He just stared.

He jolted only when she finally stood back up, causing him to curse in his mind. _What the hell was he thinking?_ He stayed there until she was out of his sight to continue after. He couldn't get distracted like that, in any way, toward a pathetic human. As they descended down the hill, he took notice of two things. One was the sun setting and two there was a river down below. She couldn't travel in the nighttime, he knew that much. It would be too dangerous for her, especially considering she had a heavy load to carry. He smirked, knowing the exact moment he would strike.

As they drifted their way toward the river, the sun was barely out, causing the sky to be blanketed by darkness. Stars flickered against the darkened sky like little fireflies. By the time she reached the edge of the river, he took note of a basic made camp already. She must have scouted here before going to kill that boar. He could tell she was drenched in sticky sweat by just the simple walk back. Not only that, but her backside was caked in dried blood from the dead pig. She didn't stop to rest until she made it to the tree by the rushing water. She was smart to camp out near water, it usually drove the scent away from her. No one would really be able to find her unless they scouted every inch of this river. Lucky for him, he didn't have to do that.

She allowed her boomerang to slid off her back, stepping over the cloth that was attached to it as to not trip. From his perspective she was on her last leg trying to get that dead boar where she needed it to. Dropping her heavy load on the ground, she straighten her back, it popping in response. Groaning, she rotated her neck and arms, easing the ache in her muscles. He could clearly see each of her muscles moving under her suit. Even with her petite frame, she was fit. He could only imagine how she would look in the future. She pulled out a long rope and tied it to the rope cage before she hoisted it over a low hanging branch. With all her strength she lifted the dead weight and secured the end of the rope to a stick in the ground.

Wandering around her camp, she lit a fire, set up her boomerang against a tree, laid her sword in the fire, and made a makeshift bed out of leaves. Kouga had settled into a nearby tree, observing her every move. His moment would arrive as soon as she lets her guard down and he would end this. She sauntered her way to the river, moonlight glaring overhead. Even without the moon, he would have been able to see her perfect. Enhanced sense just comes with being a powerful demon. As she knelt to the ground, he noticed that her backside was still coated in blood.

She pushed her hands behind her damp ponytail, untying the knot that held her mask firmly against her face. His eyes widen at the sight. The moment her mask fell, it revealed a explosion of freckles across her nose. He licked his lips as his eyes trailed down the rest of her exposed face. He thin nose was upturned at the end, giving it its own personality and her lips were puffy red, likely from her biting them during her struggle earlier. For a brief moment, he felt his heart beat in his ears. If he thought Ayame was beautiful, than this girl was even more so. Not understanding what came over him, he dug his nails into the tree branch. With her mask freely off of her, the sweat that clung at the edges of her cheeks fell down her gentle chin. Her face appeared too soft to be a demon slayer. No hardship whatsoever marked her face.

She reached down into the water, allowing her hands to soak there before she gathered up as much water as she could. For a moment she just stared down, exhaustion hitting her. She pressed her face into her hands, holding her breath as she scrubbed. The water slipped between her fingers, falling back into the river before she released all of it at once. Her eyes were closed, allowing the water to drip from her face and fringe. Again, he was mesmerized by this human girl. He was completely flabbergasted with himself. He was better than this. He would betrothed to a fine wolf demon and continue on with his clan's tradition. Kouga gulped at that thought, straightening up on his branch.

 _He had to end this._

She pulled out a piece of cloth, wiping her face clean of any water. Dipping the cloth in the river, she reached around and attempted to clean the blood off of her. He watched her every move, hypnotized by her every action. She didn't remove all of it, but enough to where it wouldn't stick her suit to her skin. As she dipped the cloth back in the water, he pinched himself with his claws, drawing blood. Snapping out of his stupor, he jumped down, landing behind a bush. This was it, she was relaxed enough that he could make his move. Even if she was a young demon slayer, she still was one nonetheless.

She continued her cleaning as he prowled closer on all fours. He sucked in a long breath through his nose, disregarding any scent of hers that poured into his nostrils. He crawled forward, not making a sound. When her shoulders relaxed and she was wrapping the cloth back up into her pouch, he pounced; quite literally. She barely had time to react as he jumped her, pinning her down against the mudded bank. She gasped loudly, voice cracking. She responded extremely well to the position she was in, even surprising him with a hidden blade attached to her arm. It popped out, ripping through the fabric and slicing his cheek as he rolled off of her.

At the corner of his eye, she rolled to the opposite side of him, heading for her boomerang. A grin appeared on his face as he was one move ahead of her, slashing at her with his claws. The demon slayer barely moved out of the way in time, rolling in another direction. He was already in pace with her, clawing at her once again. Her eyes widened as she ducked under him as he flew over her. He paused, turning around to stare at her. On one knee, she stood firm, the blade attached to her arm held out in defense. His tail twitched, flicking back and forth in annoyance. She was good at dodging, but for how long? Her dark brown eyes were filled with hatred as she glared at him.

"Who are you demon and what purpose do you have here?" She demanded, a shake in her voice. He stood up to his full height, an eyebrow perked at her question. Although she was clearly smaller than him, she stood her ground.

"And why would I tell you that?" He mused, taking light of her talking. Without hearing her answer, he bounced forward, claws slashing out toward her neck. He could hear her grind her teeth together as she narrowly dodged once again. He didn't waste anytime, lurching forward once more, thrusting his other hand against the sword at her forearm. He shattered it, but his hand was damaged. Nothing he couldn't handle with later. He pinned her underneath him, claws digging into one of her shoulders. She grunted out in pain, harshly glaring at him.

He pulled back his other arm, nails glinting in the moonlight. He could see the fear in her face. She was trapped and all he had to do was lower his hand and rip out her throat. It was a mere moment as the world went into slow motion for him. His hand lowered, his eyes locked onto her throat. It was only when he flicked his gaze upward, locking eyes with the girl beneath him that something changed. Time seem to freeze for him and suddenly he was in another situation entirely. It was the same girl, except not. Her face was older, more mature, more loving? ' _Sango..'_ The name drifted into his mind. And then the older version was gone, replaced with the hostile appearance of a young girl. His hand was paused mid-air, hovering over her throat. He noticed she had shifted underneath him, arms thrust upward. He pulled back, shocked eyes glancing down to his midsection. To his surprise, there was her sword stabbed through his stomach.

He gasped out, sliding back. The metal weapon was searing hot inside him and he realized they were positioned by the fire, where her sword was lying in. He didn't even feel it go in. He howled out, grabbing the sword by the blade and pulled it to him. He saw her grimace from the volume of his voice and let her grip slip from the hilt. She realized too late her mistake. He raised up on his knees over her. She immediately leaned up as well, reaching for her only savior, her sword, in this situation. He ripped it out of him, blood flying at an angle as he tossed the stupid thing away. His hands went for her neck, fingers curling around it. Choking, her much tinier hands went to his wrist, struggling against his inhuman grip. All he saw was red, nails piercing the delicate skin of her neck. He could break it in half with ease.

And then it happened, again. He was somewhere else, choking the older version of her. A knot formed in his stomach as he loosened his grip on her. He blinked and she was gone again. All he heard was the soft whispering of that damn name. ' _Sango… Sango… Sango…'_ He wanted to curse the name. It was only when a small hand scratch him against his cheek that he remembered the demon slayer. Growling he reached up, and slapped her across her face, claws scraping against her cheek. The kid's head followed the motion, staying to the side, motionless. The marks immediately swelled up with blood, dripping off of her chin. Panting, it took him a moment to comprehend that he knocked her out.

He sat up on his knees, staring down at her. She had a good amount of blood pooling from her neck and face. He raised up his hand and noticed he had her blood on him. Jumping off of her, he paced a few meters away. He ran a clawed hand through his hair, conflicted. He couldn't kill her. Something was stopping him from it. Something animal inside. Panic rose up his throat as he glanced at the fallen slayer to be. He couldn't do it, no matter how stern Ayame was. He just couldn't. He was going to punch himself in the face later for this. He was going to let her live. He was going to lie to the council. _Liar._ His stomach bundled up with nerves from that thought. His worse fear was that Ayame was going to find out and declare him a traitor. He would have to make sure that didn't happen. Grunting in frustration, he leaps away from the camp, striving to get as far away as possible before he traveled back to the clans. He needed to compose himself. As he dashed away, all he could hear was her name pounding around in his head.

He prayed it would be the last time he ever saw her. And as she laid there, her wounds slowly clotting, it might have seemed it would be. Just a bad dream for him and a grueling task for her. Alas, fate had other plans for their future. They were destined to be.

 **Thanks for reading! Please review if you do or don't like it! Constructive criticism is okay. I might be slow with getting chapters up for this**


	2. The Survivor

**Hey, it's been a while, and after reading a few reviews left on here, I got inspired to continue this story. So enjoy!**

 **-askle**

* * *

Searing pain erupted from her neck as blood poured out in chunks. She choked on words that should've came out but couldn't. Through blurred vision, she caught his eyes; they pierced into her soul. Red glowed from them, vibrating from the darkness surrounding them. His clawed hands squeezed her neck, blocking any passage of air. Her hands, smaller than she remembered reached forward, scratching at the air. She needed relief. None came. Haunting growls blanketed her from all around. It was growing louder and louder until it deafened everything around her.

Her vision faltered until a calming sense rushed over her. Her hands slowly dropped to her sides as she laid in agony over the situation. The beast's hands were removed from her neck, but relief was the last thing she felt. Scorching liquid still seeped around her body, surrounding her whole form. It encased her in her own liquid shell of death. She could feel herself slowly disappearing from the conscious world. A pair of chapped lips pressed against her ear causing a wicked sensation to shoot up her spine. A name was whispered, lingering in the air between them.

 _'Sango'_

It echoed around her as she slowly lost consciousness. Just before she thought she was completely gone, a face appeared before her. Sharp teeth and dangerous eyes were shown, but somehow, she felt at peace. The face had such a familiar air about him. A name was on the tip of her tongue, causing a tickle to rush down her throat. She was so close to putting it into words. Slowly her eyes closed only to shoot back open. Confusion set in as her hazy vision took in her scenery.

Blinking, the sun seeped through the cracks of a closed off window, it was barely morning. She shot upward, twisting her head around to observe her surroundings. Sweat fell off her face in random splotches and her breath came out in huffs. She was safe, she knew exactly where she was. Regaining her breathing, she wrapped her arms around her muscular body. Rubbing her hands against her arms, she attempted to relieve herself of the chills that appeared there. She froze when a body shifted near her.

' _Kohaku,'_ A weak smile appeared on her face as she glanced over to him. He was sound asleep, curled up on his side as one of his feet stuck out at the bottom of his sleeping mat. She hugged herself tighter as she watched her brother. Shifting her eyes around the rest of the room, she noticed a messy mat on the other side of her brother. Her father had already left for the day, in a rush it seems. He was always an early bird, regardless. Slowly, the tension in her body relaxed and the chills evaporated, leaving her body to adjust to the temperature around her. Although it was midsummer, the heat hadn't set in yet, leaving the air around them to a mildly cool temperature instead.

She took one last look at her brother, allowing him to sleep in a little longer before moving from her mat. As she folded her own mat, she took her father's as well. She then proceeded to go through her normal routine. Stepping into the next room, she kneeled in front of a water bowl. Washing her face, her hands brushed against faded out scars. The same scars that were given to her the night of her exam. Fingertips lingered along the shape of one on her face. Her mind drifted for a few seconds as the memories flowed. It mimicked her nightmare almost perfectly. Snapping out of her thoughts, she quickly finished her morning routine, running her hands through her long hair.

A kimono was laid to the side. She slipped it on just as she heard a voice ring from outside. Alert, she pulled her hair back in a low ponytail and made her way outside. As she pushed past the curtain she raised a hand to block out the sun for a moment. The morning light was slowly warming up the cool air of night as it rose further into the sky. Taking a moment to enjoy the morning, she stretched her arms above her, sighing in contentment.

"Sango," Snapping out of her thoughts, she turned to greet who called for her. A smile formed on her face as she took notice of the man walking up to her only for it to take a turn at the troubled expression he wore. "Your father wants to see you. "He panted, seeming to have ran the whole way to her. Small beads of sweat formed at his brow, only to be wiped away by his arm. He quickly followed up with "It's urgent." Her demeanor changed at his words. She couldn't swallow the lump forming in her throat. "Thank you," Was her croaked response before sprinting to the village hall. There was already a crowd of villagers there, most in combat gear. She quietly excused herself as she pushed past people, fingers grazing against cloth and skin alike. As she reached the front of the crowd she spotted her father immediately. Their eyes locked.

Usually, he would greet her with a warm gaze and a bone crushing hug, instead Sango was welcomed with a firm grip on her shoulder and worried expression on his face. Every inch of body froze up in tension as he guided her into the hut before them. She found her hands gripping at each other to find some sort of comfort in her father's grim presence. He didn't need to say a word, she could feel exactly what he was feeling with the way he treated her. She didn't even have to know the situation to know that something horrible had happened. And whatever it was, she knew her father trusted her to fix this. His fingers tightened on her shoulder as they neared the door. Her ears were burning from the boost of adrenaline pumping through her veins. Everything was muted around her; their steps, the voices from the crowd before them, and even the slight moans from inside the hut. She didn't know which to focus on.

"Sango," Her father's deep voice snapped her mind clear. She turned her big brown eyes upward to meet with similar, older ones. Her fingers dug themselves into the skin of the other hand, nails piercing enough to cause slight pain. She felt herself exhale to calm herself. "There was an incident with the assignment we were given a week ago..." She nodded in response, hair slipping into her face. She let it lay there, too focused to care about a stray hair. "And three of ours were killed. "He spoke with such stillness, she could only imagine how furious he was. He pulled her forward, hand still on her shoulder, as she pushed open the cloth to the inside of the house. "Our only survivor was Tohru, who has barely said anything since arriving early this morning. She was brought in with a few townspeople from that village."

Her eyes immediately landed on the victim. It wasn't as bad as she imagined. Her wounds were mostly bandaged up, only a few appeared severe. One caught her attention. It was a claw mark on the woman's check. Eyes widening, her hand subconsciously reached up to touch the matching scar on her own face. Grief stricken, she mourned their fallen comrades. And even more so collected every piece of hatred into a little bottle near her heart, so when she finally faced the demons that did this, she would unleash hell. Her father had long removed his hand from her shoulder, standing nearby as he, himself observed Tohru. Sango brushed her hair back from her face and moved toward the fallen female. Tohru barely opened her eyes, grey clouds peering back at Sango.

Tohru croaked at a groan as she noticed her approaching. Sango hushed her quietly, kneeling and reaching out a hand to push some of Tohru's black hair back. She barely had the strength to hold her eyes open. Sango let her be, examining the rest of her wounds. It was odd, most of her wounds didn't appear to be from a wolf demon. Her hand clenched into a fist as she thought about how they even managed to ambush an elite squad. How they had gotten to close to murdering all of them. And Tohru, she was even younger than Sango. She watched her grow into the woman she is now. How she managed to escape by the skin of her teeth was a blessing. Her fist shook with rage. She felt her father's hand back on her shoulder. Relaxing, she gave him a sideways glance. No words; their eyes said it all to each other.

Whoever did this; they were going to pay.

"Where are the villagers that brought her?" She questioned, standing up to face him. He silently led her back out of the hut, toward another one. They barely gave glance to the growing crowd in front of this hut. She noticed Ichida, a close of friend and teammate of hers, corralling the crowd. Not a lot of people know what had happened and were asking the same questions over and over. He brought her to the entrance, flipping back the curtain that covered the door. Upon entering the room, she noticed quite a few children along with a few adults sitting inside. She didn't recall their faces at all.

"Hello, you are from the village we sent our slayers to?" She asked, glancing between the few adults, trying to pin who was their leader. Solemnly, a woman spoke up.

"Yes, my name is Akane. We felt it wasn't safe there anymore." She started, hugging a small boy to her chest. Staring down at him, she continued. "When we sent out the request for slayers to take care of a few demons outside our village, we weren't lying." Sango nodded, already knowing the mission details enough. "But, something changed. The demon slayers arrived and set out toward the forest to exterminate the demons, but then strange things started happening." She gulped, brushing the little boy's hair down.

"And what happened then?" Sango questioned softly, attempting to get her to continue but also trying to give her space to speak.

"In the night, there were howls and we…" She glanced around to the other people in the room. "We knew something had gone wrong. We exited our huts and I found your friend there at the entrance of the village, collapsed." She sighed heavily. "We never seen wounds like that on a person before. We patched her up as well as we could." The woman's eyes pierced into Sango's as she almost pleaded that they did everything they could have done. Sango believed her. There was no reason for the woman before her, scared stiff, to be lying to her.

"And we are thankful for you." Sango's father answered behind her, his voice soft and understanding toward the woman.

"Our village was split then, half of us, "She gestured around her. "Feared for the safety of our lives and decided to leave with the demon slayer back to your village. The other half, stubborn fools, stayed." She was visibly shaken by those words. She knew something much have happen to the rest of their village by now. And it was quite possible the village got raided by wolf demons.

Sango approached the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to give her a comforting gesture. "I'm sure you did the right thing, bringing the children and others here. We are grateful you brought Tohru back as well." Sango gave a thin lined smile and stepped away, feeling the anxiety strike her as she stared at each child. All she could picture was Kohaku in each one as she exited the hut with her father.

* * *

Sango, now fully clad in her gear, stood firmly beside her father as he briefed the squad before them. She listened intently, the thoughts of Tohru settling into her. Her mind raced as she replaced images of Tohru with Kohaku. She set her gaze on him from across the room. He was here as a precaution, a backup plan. She stared at him for the longest. Nothing would happen to him on her watch. And nothing was going to get through her team for him to fight. It was only when her father placed a map onto the table before them that she brought her gaze back to attention.

"This is where they were stationed. "He clearly spoke, cool collected as always. His finger ran along an area east from the village the team was meant to exterminate. Sango winced as she took note of that. A person came a week ago and told us that a small group of mismatched demons were tormenting that village nearby. It should've been an easy enough task to handle for a four-man squad.

"We need two teams. One that will scout the perimeter and the other that will hold at the entrance of the village on lookout." As he explained everything, she couldn't help but wonder how they were so misinformed. She drowned out her father's explanation as her thoughts escaped her. It has been five years since the official start of organized demons attacking human villages. Most of the time demons would attack on their own accord, but this was like someone was pulling the strings. Nowhere was safe anymore without demon slayers, spiritual monks, or priestess protecting the villages. It was only a few years back that humans started fighting back as one.

"… and Sango will be leading the first team. "She snapped out of her thoughts as soon as she heard her name. She nodded her head already knowing what the plan was initially. To fight off whoever had done the killing in the first place. And the second which included Kohaku, were to secure the safety of the village if anything were to happen to the first team. And there was no doubt in her mind that it was wolf demons. The injury on Tohru's cheek were like the one she had acquired before. It was strange. Wolf demons usually kept to the mountains, away from civilization. Why would they venture so far down into the forest? Unless they were ordered to? Her brow scrunched up in concentration as she pondered for a moment.

Eyes glancing around at her fellow comrades, she felt herself stopping at Kohaku. He immediately met her eyes with a nervous smile. In return, she offered a smile herself, hoping to ease his nerves. He was fidgeting with his hands. It was understandable why he was nervous. Tohru, someone that wasn't much older than him, had been torn to shreds. A solemn expression replaced her smile. Tohru was the lucky one of her team. Sucking in a breath, she clenched her hand. Nothing would get pass her. She wouldn't let anything slip by to the second team. She would take down anything to protect what she loves. It was mere moments later that her father called the meeting to a close. They would prepare shortly and then head out to the village.

Her eyes followed Kohaku out of the room, waiting for everyone to disperse before she turned her attention to her father. "Father…" He raised his hand, as if he was in defeat about the situation. "I know, wolf demons, down here? Impossible." He completely read her thoughts, silencing her even further. She shouldn't have expected any less from the clan leader. She watched him idly as he leaned against the table. He hasn't looked this vulnerable since her mom had died. This time she placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze. "We'll push them back." Sango attempted to assure him.

He gave a sudden laugh, pushing off the table to face her. "Look at me, being consoled by my own daughter." She straightened up at his words, barely coming up to his chin. He placed both his hands against her shoulders, gazing down at her lovingly. "My how you've grown. You remind me of your mother so much." Squeezing her shoulders, he gave her a firm smile. She felt a sense of pride in those words. Giving her one last glance, he twisted her around and gently shoved her to the door. "Now go, prepare for a victory." Stepping forward, she gave him a small smile in return before exiting the hut they were in.

Once outside, she peered around at everyone rushing along. Weapons of all sorts were being polished and sharpened, being prepared for anything. Sango made her way forward, making a beeline for where Tohru was resting at. She felt it was her responsibility to check on her before she departed. Sango was just as protective to the younger villagers as she was to Kohaku himself. She couldn't bear if something happened to anyone on her watch. And right now, the whole village was under her protection. As she came closer, she heard her name being called from behind. She turned around to surprisingly greet her little brother himself. "Kohaku, what is it? "She questioned, giving him her full attention. He seemed to fidget under her gaze.

"Sango, I just don't think I should come. "He couldn't meet her eyes, staring at the ground instead. Her eyebrows shot up. This was a big sister moment she couldn't mess up. She had to inspire confidence in him. Putting on her best smile, she placed a hand against his upper arm. Dipping her head down, she caught his gaze. "You'll be fine. My squad will wipe out whatever threat it is. None will slip through. "Her reassurance shown through with each syllable she spoke. His expression seemed tense. "But what if something does get through? And I can't handle it!" His big, brown eyes pleaded for her to ease his mind. "Then you have father with you." She patted his arm, straightening them both up. "But that doesn't mean you need to just stand there. Trust your gut. You'll do great. "This time her smile was sincere enough that it plastered a toothy smile on his face as well.

"Okay… thank you Sango. "With that, he waved bye as he trotted off to prepare, appearing a little at ease. She raised her hand in goodbye as well, only lowering it when he disappeared around a corner. Heaving a sigh, she turned back around toward her original destination. Slipping inside, it was only Tohru in the room. The one nursing her must have left to help prepare some remedies for the assignment.

Sango positioned herself next to the still body of Tohru, gently brushing her hand against her injured cheek. That wound was that of a wolf demon's claw. No mistake. Her brows narrowed in thought as she tried to discern why wolf demons were in that area to begin with. And even why the people of said village didn't realize before. Maybe it was a strategic plan to lure out a few demon slayers and kill them. The blood in her veins began to boil at that thought. Swallowing her anger, she gently pressed her fingers to the skin of Tohru's face, checking for a fever of some sort. As she recognized the small fever the younger female had, she re-cooled the cloth that was on her forehead.

Sango's expression softened as she stared down at Tohru. In her heart, she hoped that she would survive these wounds, but it seemed unlikely she would. It was a surprise she got her as she did, even with the help of the villagers. They must be terrified of what is to come from the state of the demons appearing. After a few more moments of silently praying for Tohru to recover, she stood up. Silently, she walked out of the hut, peering at Tohru one last time.

* * *

The village was quiet upon arriving, to be expected since the trouble with demons the past week. Sango crept forward, peering into the village's empty streets. It seemed not a soul was around, but it didn't look like the village was raided. She glanced back at her small group, giving a silent signal to move forward. Her group consisted of four people, including herself. Her father's group was a little way back and consisted of six people. They were mostly here for backup in case it got messy.

They crept forward, Sango taking the charge. She could barely see, considering it was nighttime with a cloudy overcast. She tried her best to see as she approached the first house. Quietly, she tapped her knuckles against the wood, hoping to rouse someone awake. After a few moments when no one came, she peeled back the curtain. And it was empty. Grimacing under her mask, she slipped back out and followed her team further in. A tap on her shoulder caused her to turn around to one of her teammates, Ichida. He was much older than her, almost coming up to her father's age. He pointed over to a fallen rake in the middle of the road.

She nodded in confirmation and crept toward it. Upon closer inspection, there was a few droplets of blood leading away from the rake. She swallowed in fear of what happened to the rest of the village that didn't find refuge in their demon slaying one. She gestured for the rest of her members to spread out and investigate the rest of the houses to make sure it was safe. With her gloved hand next to the blood, she closed her eyes in concentration. Going into an almost like meditative state, she attempted to sense any evil presence in the small village. Part of the training as a demon slayer was to be able to sense demons. It took her a long time to be able to perfect this, and she still couldn't broadcast it at a long range.

After discerning that there were no demons in the nearby vicinity, she stood to her full height. For a moment, the clouds shifted away from the moon, casting a beam of light against the village. She used that moment to scan the entrances and exits of the village. She stayed there until each of her members re-approached her and confirmed that the village was empty.

"Let's set up camp then. "With a heavy sigh, she pulled off her mask. She disappeared back to where they came from, searching for her father. As she was walking, her father popped out of a bush.

"Status," He commanded softly, causing her to halt and give a pained expression.

"No one. Demons nor humans. It seemed like the village was raided without protest." She confirmed, still confused as to how wolf demons did this without tearing through the whole place. Maybe it wasn't wolf demons? Shaking her head, she followed her father's team back to the village, her mind wandering of the possibilities that occurred here. While in thought, she pressed her fingers against the scar along her cheek. The scar was faded and the only way to tell it was there was either by touching the indention it made or see it at a certain angle.

"Does it hurt? "Surprised, she glanced down toward Kohaku who was staring intently at her as they walked. Halting, she offered him a small smile, dropping her hand from her face.

"No, I was lost in thought. "She answered, flicking her ponytail back behind her.

"Do you think we are walking into an ambush? "He asked softly, biting his lip in anticipation.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she gave it a small squeeze. "I won't lie, that did cross my mind, but I don't think we have to worry about that. I didn't sense any nearby demons." Sango gave her best smile she could, hoping to ease his mind. With furrowed eyebrows, he gave her a stiff nod, before continuing along with the group. She watched him go for a few seconds before trotting along after him.

"Hey!" She called out, slinging an arm around his shoulders. He jolted forward, glancing up at her questioningly. "You are going to be fine. "She reassured, squeezing him to her side. They walked like that for a couple of minutes.

"Is Tohru going to be okay?" His quiet voice piped up, staring ahead. She halted them, placing both her hands on his shoulders. Bending down to his height, she forced him to make eye contact.

"Whatever happened to Tohru, is not going to happen to you. You have me to protect you." As she slowly told him his she pressed her forehead to his, closing her eyes. "I would never let anything happen to you."

A few more moments of silence before Kohaku wrapped his arms around her. She returned the favor, hugging him as tightly as she could without hurting him. Pulling away, she gazed softly down at him, just before she ruffled his hair up. There was a small sound of protest as she wrapped her arm back around his shoulders and carried them along. He eventually wrapped his arm around her waist, leaning into her as they walked. Once they caught up to her father in the village, he approached them. Holding out one of hands towards Kohaku, he took him by the shoulder. Sango allowed him to easily pull Kohaku toward him, straightening up once he was gone from her side.

"Tonight, Team B will take turns watching the perimeter." Sango nodded stiffly as her father spoke. "Kohaku, we'll be taking the first watch together." As he said that, Kohaku visibly relaxed, nodding.

"And Sango," She perked up, folding her hands behind her back instinctively. "I expect you and your team to rise early and start scouting toward the area where the demons were spotted." The sternness in her father's voice reminded her how delicate of a matter this was. He raised a hand toward her shoulder while maintaining the hand on Kohaku's as well. He glanced between the both. "This is nothing to fret over, if you ever feel you are in danger, retreat back to this village. There is power in numbers." Sango turned her gaze to her brother, having already knew this from experience. She only hoped her brother wouldn't freeze up if the situation did require him to retreat.

"Of course, father." She answered for them, still staring intently at Kohaku's expression of discomfort. He was really a tender soul. It wasn't his fault, he couldn't change his nature. Her father patted her shoulder, before pulling her brother along with him to an area off to the side of the village. She exhaled, rolling one of her shoulders as she joined back up with Ichida and the rest of her squad.

"Yo," He greeted her casually, sharpening one of his knifes. She only nodded in response, crossing her arms as she stood above him. He was crouched down near a spot of blood that she hadn't noticed before, his mask hanging around his neck. "I found more blood spots around the village." He reported, staring up at the sky. "I don't know if wolf demons did this."

"I would agree with you there." She replied, her eyes following where her brother and father were walking. She could only imagine her father was lecturing her brother on what to expect on a first shift of watch. She could hear the words in her head when he gave her that speech, over and over.

"I did find an area that seemed like some sort of struggle occurred." She brought her gaze back to Ichida, taking interest in his words. "Over there." He gestured with his blade toward an area near one of the huts. "Not wolf, though. It almost seemed like someone was plucked out of the sky by a bird." The older male shook his head, certainly just as confused as her. There was lots of speculation about what could have happened here, but not even facts to put it together. If only there was a key witness that could explain the events that occurred here. Hell, she would even take one of the demons point of views if they were here. At least it would have been something.

"Sango," Breaking out of her thoughts, she turned her eyes downward once again to Ichida. "Calm your mind, get some rest." He bluntly told her, stuffing his knife into its holster. He dusted his hands off together and stood up, towering over her. "We'll need it for tomorrow's recon." He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, before making his way to the hut they were going to be sleeping in.

She felt herself relax as he left her, bringing her eyes to the face the sky. Although it was a very cloudy night, there wasn't any signs of rain. That was good, that meant no evidence would be tampered with by natural causes. Raising her arms above her head, she stretched as far as she could. She knew Ichida was right, she needed to get some well needed rest for tomorrow, but she couldn't help that her mind was racing. She found herself eyeing Kohaku once again. Especially since her little brother was here, she felt like she couldn't screw this up. Her heart ached like she knew something was going to happen to him. Shaking her head aggressively, she attempted to get rid of those thoughts. She was obviously overthinking it, he would be fine. Father was here, and so were many elite slayers. And most importantly, she was here. She would do everything in her power to not let anything happen to him.

She trailed over to the spot that Ichida pointed out, hoping to find more pieces to fit in this puzzle. Squatting down, she examined the dirt patterns, taking note that it appeared as if a human did struggle here. It only appears that the person's legs scrapped against the ground and there are no other prints of the attacker. Her brow scrunched up at that, not sure how a wolf demon would have done this other than if they learned how to fly. She snorted lightly at that, standing back up.

With one last sight and glance at the sky, she started her way to the hut were Ichida went. As she walked, the clouds parted slightly, showing a few stars before covering them once again. _'Everything would be fine.'_ She repeatedly told herself.


End file.
